Central Park Bird-Watcher Will Host TV Series

Christian Cooper, who once had 911 called on him while he was bird-watching in New York's Central Park, now will take viewers with him while he pursues his hobby. Cooper is hosting a TV series called Extraordinary Birder on National Geographic. The channel didn't say when the series will begin, the New York Post reports. Two years ago, a difference of opinion over whether a woman needed to put her dog on a leash in Central Park resulted in Amy Cooper (no relation), who is white, telling him she was calling 911 to report an "African American man threatening my life."

He's been bird-watching since he was 10. A National Geographic statement said Cooper "will take us into the wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds." The six-episode series, to be filmed in various US locations, may run on a National Geographic channel or Disney Plus, per the New York Times. "I love spreading the gospel of birding," Cooper, 59, said. He said his hope is to encourage people "to stop and watch and listen and really start appreciating the absolutely spectacular creatures that we have among us." Cooper said he still goes bird-watching in Central Park, usually around dawn. He spotted a Tennessee warbler on Tuesday. (More bird-watching stories.)